It was my first week as an electricians helper that I met John. He was the kind of guy that would grow on you with time. Kinda like a fungus or a mold. He had his journeyman’s ticket and wasn’t above washing down lunch with the better part of a six pack. Come to think of it, He wouldn’t be above putting beer on his sugar pops for breakfast. He used to say it helped him “loosen up”.

John was in the basement of the house when he called me to check something for him on the third floor where we were putting in the wiring for a washer dryer.

“Ya see those two big wires commin’ out o’ the wall?”

“Yeah”, I said.

“Grab one of them”.

“OK, I got one.”

“Feel any tingling?”

“No.”

“Ya sure?”

“Yeah”.

“Is it the black wire or the white one?”

“The white one”, I called back.

“OK, don’t touch the black one. It’s got the 220 volt 50 amp circuit on it.”